Even I Get Angry Sometimes
“Yuna!”
Yoo Chaerin came running toward me with a bright smile the moment she spotted me. She enveloped me completely in her arms, and her chest—now even fuller than before—pressed softly against my face. Chaerin’s grown even more, huh. We’re both fourteen, so why the difference? Her long limbs gave her a model-like figure, making her school uniform look stunning. Meanwhile, I felt like the little sister tagging along in her big sis’s hand-me-down uniform, no matter how hard I tried to shake the image. I wish I could grow taller too.
“Yuna, how’d you get even cuter?!”
Maybe ’cause you’ve gotten so big, Chaerin.
“Being this cute is why creeps like that keep crawling around.”
Her fierce gaze landed on Kang Yongchan, who’d passed out cold. Anyone could see she looked ready to finish him off.
“I’m talking about you, Yuna. You’re the cutest girl in the world, so you gotta watch out for guys like that. Men only go after adorable types like you.”
What kinda logic is that?
“If I were a guy, I’d pick someone like you over me any day.”
With a tall, slender beauty right in front of them, who’d notice a shorty like me?
Chaerin’s face lit up like she’d won the lottery. “Nope, can’t have that. I’m gonna date you, Yuna!”
We were as close as ever, even after time apart.
“How’s the hunter life been?”
She’d been too swamped with S-rank duties lately for much contact. I fired off questions about all the stuff I’d missed, and she just gave a quiet smile. But seeing it made my lips twitch, then freeze. Why? Just a few months ago, her smiles had been pure joy. Now, there wasn’t a trace of happiness in it.
“It’s fine. Nothing for you to worry about, Yuna.”
My eyes widened slowly at her next words. She was clearly holding back from telling me. Something had happened—those shadows in her eyes didn’t belong on the real Chaerin. But she didn’t breathe a word about it. My fists clenched in secret. I became a hunter so I could be there for you when things got tough, someone you could lean on. And now you’re saying I can’t even hear your story?
“C’mon, we’ll be late. Let’s head to the entrance ceremony.”
She shoved my back with a casual expression, but compared to her hand, my back felt way too small. Too narrow for her to lean on. I hated that. Sure, I wasn’t as strong a hunter as her yet. But I wanted to be the one she could rest against.
I silently grabbed the sleeve of her uniform and tugged hard. ‘It’s okay.’ If I haven’t become that person for you yet, then I will. Just like the day we held your funeral after Dad went missing, when you hugged me tight. I’ll do the same.
“Chaerin, I’m your best friend.”
I matched her longer strides with my still-short ones.
“Don’t ever forget that.”
She glanced back, puzzled but smiling. “Yeah, I’ve never forgotten, not once.”
This is all we have for now. But I’ll keep trying harder.
Hunter Middle School’s entrance ceremony. Established after Korea’s founding to train underage awakeners, it’s lately become a hotspot for nurturing them from childhood. The older you get, the more your cognition, physical abilities, and learning speed decline—and hunters are no exception. Young awakeners pick up skills faster and wield them more creatively. That’s why there’s a growing trend of favoring kids. High-rank young talents attract sponsors like flies. Even B-ranks get them lining up early.
But maybe because of that…
“C-rank? Oh, sorry, I’m B-rank, so we probably won’t click.”
“Ugh, so many low-level kids. Won’t be easy fitting in.”
Adults’ rank obsession had trickled down to the children. Schools are caste systems on steroids—kids rank each other mercilessly, and attitudes shift accordingly. That’s how you get the cool cliques and the outcasts. Puberty’s rough enough without adults shoving hunter ranks into the mix. The school dynamic was obvious.
…What a mess.
They were already sorting by rank at the entrance ceremony. The kids’ futures worried me already. But one kid drew all the eyes.
“Look over there.”
“No way, is that…?”
“Not ‘that person’—call her ma’am!”
The face plastered across Korean TV for months now. The nation’s eighth S-rank hunter: Yoo Chaerin. She owned the spotlight.
Even without the S-rank, her looks would’ve stolen it—flashy enough to turn heads anywhere.
“…And who’s next to her?”
“Who?”
Me? I was getting the “who’s that?” treatment. Trailing Korea’s hottest star? Yeah, expected.
“She’s so tiny.”
Who said that? I scanned with cat-like eyes but couldn’t pinpoint them. Find me and I’ll bite your ass.
As we sat down, I felt every eye on us. It hit me how famous Chaerin had become. Are we from different worlds now? Just a few months, and there’s this huge gap between us.
I stole a glance at her calm face amid the stares, just as the principal took the podium.
“Welcome, everyone.”
Standard bland speech. The kids weren’t even listening—networking trumped learning here.
“Hey.”
A soft whisper from beside me. A girl offered a mini chocolate bar with a sweet smile when our eyes met.
“Wanna have one?”
I’m weak to sweets these days. Ever since this body, they made me melt. I wavered.
“Th-thanks.”
She beamed as I took it meekly.
“I’m Shin Jieun.”
“Oh, Ha Yuna.”
Hanging with girls for months had leveled me up—I could chat with strangers now!
“I’m C-rank. What about you, Yuna?”
My mouth snapped shut. Stabbing at weak spots already. Talking to girls is still tough.
“…E-rank.”
But a step up from before.
Shin Jieun winced awkwardly. “Natural awakening?”
“…No, Tower awakening.”
“Oh, right—climb the Tower and your rank goes up. It’s fine, don’t sweat it.”
Her consolation was nice.
“Everyone’s too hung up on ranks, right?”
She smiled apologetically and handed me another chocolate. Comfort gift?
“That friend next to you? Pass one to her too. We could all hang out!”
Ah. That explained it. Chaerin was everyone’s target—the golden ticket to an S-rank buddy. Fastest way? Use her “close friend”—me.
Now I noticed the stares weren’t just for Chaerin. They were drilling into me too. Ugh. Hungry eyes made my head spin. Hunter Middle School was gonna be brutal.
Shin Jieun watched expectantly, chocolate bribe already accepted. No choice—I passed one to Chaerin.
“Huh? For me, Yuna?”
She grinned happily.
“No, uh, it’s from Shin Jieun next to me.”
Her face iced over instantly.
“Oh, really?”
Zero warmth—just chilling hostility that startled even me. She gripped the chocolate, flicked her finger—
It floated up. Then the wrapper started melting, space around it warping with heat. Something’s off—
It compressed, ignited in a flash—ping!—and smacked Shin Jieun’s forehead.
Sizzle—
“Kyaaack!”
She rolled on the floor screaming. A burned chocolate mark scarred her forehead like a cigarette burn.
Chaos at the ceremony. Students, descending principal, teachers—all stared in shock. Chaerin flicked back her jet-black hair.
“Hey.”
She glared down at the whimpering Shin Jieun.
“Using Yuna for your bullshit? Wanna die?”
Curse words slipped out casually. She’d always been tough-talking with me, but never swore. In months, she’d turned rougher, like a different person.
As my eyes bulged, she scanned the crowd, including terrified Shin Jieun.
“Same goes for all you. Try using Yuna for crap—”
The metal chair behind her crumpled and shattered.
“—and teacher or not, you’ll end up like that.”
Everyone froze. Chaerin was fourteen. But an S-rank spatial hunter—the rarest kind. Even at a spotlight school like this, no A-rank teachers. A-ranks were national assets, too busy for kids. S-ranks? Forget it.
Meaning: No one here could control her by force. And she knew it—wielded her power without hesitation.
But.
“Yoo Chaerin.”
I couldn’t let it slide.
“What the hell are you doing?”
For the first time, I was mad at her.